The present invention relates generally to current probes and more particularly to a current probe system for use with an oscilloscope for acquiring a current signal from a current carrying conductor.
Current probes used with oscilloscopes apply transformer technology to measure current flowing in a conductor. The transformer has a ring-shaped magnetic core defining an aperture and may be solid or closed core or an open or split core where one side of the magnetic core is movable relative to the other sides. This allows the current carrying conductor to be passed through the aperture of the transformer without having to disconnect the current carrying conductor from a circuit. The current carrying conductor is passed through the aperture in the magnetic core and acts as the primary winding of the transformer. A secondary winding is wrapped around one side of the magnetic core. The current flowing in the current carrying conductor induces a magnetic flux that is linked to the magnetic core and the secondary winding. The magnetic flux causes a current to be generated in the secondary winding that produces a magnetic flux that is opposite to that generated by the current flowing in the current carrying conductor. In a passive current probe, the alternating current generated by the secondary winding is dropped across a transformer termination resistor which generates an AC voltage output. The voltage output is coupled via an electrical cable to an input channel of the oscilloscope. The oscilloscope processes the voltage signal for displaying a representation of the current signal.
Since transformers are AC signal coupling devices, the passband of the transformer cut-off frequency is above the DC level. To allow the current probe to sense DC and low frequency current signals, an active current probe includes a Hall effect device in the magnetic core of the transformer. The Hall effect device is a semi-conductor positioned in the magnetic core such that the magnetic flux in the magnetic core is substantially perpendicular to the Hall plate. A bias is applied to the Hall plate and the resulting voltage generated by the Hall effect due to the flux in the magnetic core is coupled to the input of a differential amplifier. The single ended output of the amplifier may be coupled to a power amplifier which generates a current output proportional to the current generated by the Hall effect device. The output of the Hall device amplifier or alternately the power amplifier is coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer such that the output current from the amplifier flowing through the secondary winding produces a flux that opposes the input magnetic flux over the frequency passband of the Hall effect device. In one implementation, the output of the Hall effect or power amplifier is coupled to one side of the secondary winding with the other side of the winding coupled to the transformer termination resistor and amplifier circuitry. In another implementation, the output of the Hall effect amplifier is coupled via a resistor to the same side of the secondary as the amplifier circuitry. A capacitor is coupled to the input of a wideband amplifier in the amplifier circuitry for blocking the current from the Hall effect amplifier. The output of the Hall effect amplifier and the output of the wideband amplifier are summed at the input of a operational amplifier having a feedback resistor that provides a voltage output proportional to the combined current in the secondary winding of the transformer. The voltage output of the operational amplifier is a measure of the AC and DC components of the magnetic core flux. The output of the operational amplifier is coupled via an electrical cable to an input channel of the oscilloscope. Generally, active current probes are of the split-ring transformer type. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,525,041, 5,477,135 and 5,493,211 describe the above current sensing circuits.
To measure the current passing through a conductor, the current probe must be coupled in series with the conductor. This proves difficult when the current carrying conductor is fixed to a substrate, such as a circuit trace on a circuit board. The general procedure for measuring the current in a current trace is to break the trace and solder a length of wire between the trace break. The wire is passed through the aperture in the transformer of the current probe where the wire acts as the primary winding of the transformer. Another procedure is to manufacture the circuit board with gaps in the traces and install square pins on either side of the gaps. A conductive jumper is coupled to the square pins during normal testing of the circuit board. When a current measurement is required the jumper is removed and a length of wire is connected between the square pins. As before, the wire is used as the primary winding of the transformer in the current probe.
Transformer based current probes have a number of limitations in measuring currents through circuit traces on a circuit board. The sensitivity and accuracy of the resulting current measurement is limited by the repeatability of placing the wire in the same position within the magnetic core of the transformer and the repeatability of the split core being exactly aligned in the same position when it is opened and closed. What is needed is a current probing system that eliminates the use of a loop of wire as the primary winding of a current probe. Additionally, the current probing system should provide flexibility in connecting the current probe to the current carrying conductor. Further, the current probing system should provide greater repeatability in the sensitivity and accuracy of the current measurement.